Updated

Today is the National Day of Prayer – and Lord knows we need it. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to gather in church houses and public squares to petition the Almighty to show His favor upon our land.

For 63 years, Americans of all political persuasions and denominations have set a day to pray on bended knee. It’s a tradition that predates the founding of our nation. In 1775 the Continental Congress issued a proclamation setting aside a day of prayer.

“Following in the footsteps of our nation’s founders, who fought for religious freedom, millions will assemble at thousands of local National Day of Prayer events across America, where they will take time out of their daily schedules to intercede on behalf of their communities, their nation, and their leaders,” reads a statement from the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

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Our Founding Fathers were pretty clear about the importance of corporate prayers, the prayer tax force noted.

“We are one nation under God, and a nation that is under God must stand under His virtues and give Him the praise and recognition for his bountiful blessings that He so rightfully deserves,” wrote George Washington. “Accumulative wisdom is not sufficient to navigate the challenges of the day.”

And pay attention to this nugget from our first president: “Therefore, it is the duty of all nations to recognize the providence of Almighty God.”

And that is why citizens will be gathering today in Wichita, Kan. and Lafayette, La. and Macon, Ga.

The National Day of Prayer coincides with the annual U.S. Capitol Bible Reading. Volunteers from across the fruited plain have been reading through the entire Bible this past week – from “In the beginning” to the last “Amen.”

Hopefully, the Bible readers raised their voices so our lawmakers could hear the parts about coveting stuff that isn’t theirs. Specifically, our tax dollars. The way I see it – if 10 percent is good enough for the Lord, it should be good enough for Uncle Sam.